Moss Rose

11/2/2013

As I lay me down to sleep... Moss Rose is directed by Gregory Ratoff and adapted to screenplay by Niven Busch, Jules Furthman and Tom Reed from the novel The Crime of Laura Saurelle written by Joseph Shearing. It stars Peggy Cummins, Victor Mature, Ethel Barrymore, Vincent Price, Margo Woode, George Zucco, Patricia Medina and Rhys Williams. Music is by David Buttolph and cinematography by Joseph MacDonald. Somebody is killing Michael Drego's (Mature) lovers and leaving behind a bible and a compressed dried moss rose. When her dancer friend is one of the victims, Belle Adair (Cummins) thinks she knows who the killer is and sets about blackmailing him for an unusual request... British Gothic noir pulsing with maternal pangs and whodunit shenanigans, Moss Rose has much to recommend

1/3/2024

When her best friend is murdered, "Rose" (Peggy Cummins) reckons she knows who did the killing. Her approach to "Michael" (Victor Mature) gets rebuffed and indeed the police investigation led by "Insp. Clinner" (Vincent Price) seems to further exonerate him, but she persists and finally touches enough nerves to get an invitation to the man's stately home where his mother "Lady Margaret" (Ethel Barrymore) keeps a fine collection of Devonshire flowers. What's that to do with anything? Well by her body there was a bible in which was pressed this very specific type of rose. Just because they have fled the city doesn't stop the body count amounting, and the question for "Rose" is - can she stay alive long enough to discover just who is behind these crimes - and why? Gregory Ratoff manages to ge